Like many of the people you may know who go vegetarian or vegan, Griff Whalen’s journey started with a documentary.

those dang documentaries that shock,You know, mortify and guilt you into swearing off all animal products. You’ve probably been encouraged to watch one.

however,Big difference, is that you and your friends are probably not NFL players.

As far as he knows, Whalen is the only player in the league that does it 100 percent.

Pro Bowl Washington Redskins offensive tackle Trent Williams went vegan,Patriots quarterback Tom Brady attributes his longevity to the vegan diet he has for much of the year. This offseason, but he’s not sure how long he’ll keep it up.

he intended for it to just be a trial run – a 28-day program. A week into it,Whalen has been doing it for four … whole … years. At first, he started doing major research into how sustainable it would be long term.

The biggest difference Whalen found was that his recovery periods were much shorter. After a strenuous workout,adidas Ryan Hartman jersey,he would feel fine a day later instead of two or three days later. He attributed it to better blood flow from not having as much saturated fat.

” he said. “Any little advantage I can find,“I’ve always been a guy who has done everything I can to help myself,Authentic Patrick Kane jersey,', I’m going to do it. I felt like this really gave me an edge.”

190-pound wideout went undrafted out of Stanford in 2012. He spent three years with the Indianapolis Colts before bouncing between three teams last season (Miami Dolphins,The 5-foot-11,Authentic Patrick Roy jersey, San Diego Chargers and New England Patriots).

The Ravens signed Whalen in late July soon before the start of training camp. He immediately transferred his strict diet to Baltimore’s Under Armour Performance Center. Other than vitamins, he doesn’t use any other supplements.

Dinner: Big spinach or kale salad with a ton of toppings like olives, cucumbers and sunflower seeds,Authentic Corey Crawford jersey,'>carrots, corn,, avocado, dressed with apple cider vinegar and olive oil or a scoop of hummus; side of rice

even if it means cooking up something special for him.,The Ravens make sure Whalen has the food he wants both at home and on the roadadidas Artemi Panarin jersey,

players care – even ones that begin the conversation by busting Whalen’s chops.,He says most of his teammates have asked him about his veganism. In a profession in which diet and your body’s performance is so important

I grew up in Ohio eating your typical Midwest diet.Authentic Artemi Panarin jersey,,“They’re like, ‘So you don’t eat meat, dairy or eggs?’” Whalen said. “And then they look at their plate and it’s basically all animal products. It’s just a huge change from what Americans typically eat. Hey, fish

that’s better for you.”,“One hundred percent of the people say they could never do that. I usually say they don’t have to. I think that’s a flaw for a lot of people, thinking that if they want to try being vegetarian or vegan, so if you just eat more vegetables and more grains and more fresh whole foods and less processed foods and less meat and less dairy, they have to do it 100 percent. The point is to be more healthy

Whalen said he’s not trying to convert anyone. He just answers whatever questions they have.

he may be changing some diets unintentionally. Defensive tackles Carl Davis and Michael Pierce expressed interest last week on Twitter. Safety Eric Weddle … not so much.,Well